Vehicle actuated gate



1953 F. s. SEFCOVIC 2,648,149

VEHICLE ACTUATED cm:

Filed Sept. 13, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fol i1) 5. Sfcow'c mmvron w &..m&-. W-4:,

8 953 F. s. sEFcpwc VEHICLE ACTUATED GATE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 13, 1949 'Fe/ix 5. Sefcovic Patented Aug. 11,1953

vEHIoLE ACTUATED GATE Felix S. Sefcovic, Pueblo, 0010., assignor of fifty per cent to Bernstein Bros. Pipe & Machinery Company, Pueblo, 0010., a corporation of 0010- rado Application September 13, 1949, Serial No. 115,501

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in gates and more particularly to a vehicle actuated swinging gate for farms and other purposes.

An important object of the inventionis the provision of means for unlatohing the gate and to cause the gate to swing open by the contact of a vehicle bumper with a latch releasing mechanism,so that the vehicle may continue through the gateway without the necessity of the driver alighting therefrom, and mounting the gate to automatically return to its closed position by gravity.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel hinge structure for a gravity closing gate to swing the gate to its closed position without the aid of springs or other counterbalancing means.

A further object is to provide novel latch releasing means' operated from both sides of the gate.

A still further object is to provide a gate operating mechanism of simple and practical construction, which is efficient and reliable in operation, strong and durable, relatively inexpensive to manufacture and otherwise well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the gate.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper hinge structure taken on a line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view of the lower hinge structure taken on a line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on a line 5--5 of Figure 1 and showing the lever releasing mechanism for the latch.

Figure 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken on a. line 66 of Figure 1 and showing the bumper contacting guards.

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the latch taken on a line 1-'l of Figure 1.

Figures 8 and 9 are enlarged fragmentary sectional views taken respectively on the lines 88 and 99 of Figure 1, and

Figure 10 is a fragmentary view in elevation of the hinged end of the gate showing the angle of the gate when in open position.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a tubular metal gate frame provided with solid vertical bars 6 and a substantially centrally disposedtubular vertical bar 1. Horizontal rubber covered guards 8 extend from the central bar I to the edge of the gate frame to prevent hooking of a vehicle bumper guard with the gate upon contact therewith.

The inner end of the gate is hinged to a gate post 9 by an upper hinge structure designated generally at l0 and a lower hinge structure designated generally at I 1.

Upper hinge structure 10 comprises a threaded rod 12 passing horizontally through post 9 and adjusted inwardly and outwardly therein by front and rear nuts I3 and I l. The front end of rod I2 is formed with a horizontal, triangular loop I5 having united arcuate front portions l6 curved eccentrically to each other to provide a seat Ilia at the center of the front of the loop. A roller 11 is journalled on a pin Ha secured to frame 5 by a pair of brackets l8, the roller traveling in 100p I5 to settle in seat 16a when the gate is closed.

Lower hinge structure ll comprises a threaded rod I9 passing horizontally through post 9 and adjusted inwardly or outwardly by front and rear nuts 20 and 2|, the front end of rod l9 having an upstanding pin 22 on which a ball bearing assembly 23 is journaled and having trunnions 24 rockably mounted in a yoke 25 at the rear end of a threaded rod 26 adjustably secured at the lower rear edge of gate frame 5 by nuts 21.

At the front or free end of gate frame 5 is a vertical latch bar 28 pivoted on the gate by a bracket 29 for inward and outward swinging movement of the upper end of the latch into and out of a notch 30 in the edge of a keeper plate 3| fixed to a gate post 32. The edge of the keeper plate is inclined from notch 30 toward the opposite ends of the plate to guide the latch into the notch and a, roller 33 is journaled on the latch bar to reduce friction. A tension coil spring 34 is attached to the lower end of lat-ch bar 28 to hold its upper end in an outwardly inclined position for engaging keeper 3| and the upper end of the latch bar above roller 33 is provided with an upper roller 35 which works in a guide 36 secured to gate 5 to prevent twisting of the latch.

A pair of cables 31 extend from latch bar 28 at opposite sides of the gate through guides 38 on central bar I and around pulleys 39 journaled on a vertical support 40 also adjacent the center lower ends of the levers outwardly and to hold the upper ends of the levers inwardly with a slight slack in cables 31.

Vertical guards 46 project outwardly from ,opposite sides of supports 40 .and 43 and at each side of and beyond levers 4| to prevent injury thereto, the lower ends of the guards tapering inwardly to expose the lower ends of the levers to impact by a vehicle bumper approaching -the gate from either side.

In the operation of the device, bar 28 normally holds the gate in its closed position under tension of spring 34 and as a vehicle approaches the gate and its front bumper strikes the lower end of lever 4|, the upper end of the lever will swing outwardly pulling cable'31 to release latch bar 28 and the continued movement of the vehicle through the gate will push'the gate open to permit passage of the vehicle.

Upper and lower hinge structures l0 and l are adjustedto position pivot pin 22 of lower hinge structure inwardly of the vertical plane of the pivot of upper hinge structure I0, toward post 9. Accordingly, as the gate swings into its open position, as shown by dotted lines in Figure 3, roller I! of upper pivot bracket l8 will travel along one'curved side of loop-|'5, as shown in Figure 3 andsince the line of'incidence of upper and lower pivots, when the gate-is open, is less than that-when the gate is closed, as indicated at A and B in Figures 1 and 10, the front end of the gate will be raised when opened and thus the gate will return=to its closed position by gravity.

Inview of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings it is believed that a-clear understanding of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A vehicle actuated gate comprising means hinging one end of a gate to a gate post for automatic closing movement of the gate, a latch at the free end of the gate holding the gate in closed position, a vertical lever pivoted intermediate its ends at each side of the gate with the lower ends of the levers in the path of a vehicle approaching the gate from opposite directions for swinging the lower ends of-said levers inwardly of the gate by impact of the vehicle to swing the outer ends of said levers outwardly of said gate, guards on said gate at opposite sides of said levers exposing the lower ends of said levers to impact by the vehicle and preventing impact of the vehicle with said levers above saidlower ends, and means connecting the upper ends of said levers .separately to .said latch for releasing said latch by outward swinging of said upper ends.

-2. .A vehicle actuated gate according to claim 1 wherein said last named means comprises a ,pull cable extending between the upper end of each lever and said latch, and guides on said gate for said cables for causing outward movement of said upper ends to exert, pull on said cables.

3. A vehicle actuatedgate according to claiml wherein said last named means comprises a pull cable extending between the upper end of each lever and said latch, said levers upon outward movementof the upper ends thereof exerting pull on said cables.

FELIX S. SEFCOVIC.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 406,412 Eberhardt July 2, 1889 576,709 Wilson Feb. 9, 1897 698,291 'Kemper Apr. 22, 1902 1,330,146 Solberg Feb. 10, 1920 1,798,699 Ralston Mar. 31, 1931 1,944,386 Winslow Jan. 23, '1934 2,118,722 Bock May 24, 1938 2,518,260 Tilbury Aug. 8, 1950 

